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IAIL0R SYSTEM. 



DRESS CUTTING MADE PERFECT 



H Y 



Mrs. EWING'S DELINEATION OF SCALES. 



THE TAILOR SYSTEM SIMPLIFIED, 



THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHICH WAS GxUNED BY MRS. S. C. EWING, 
AFTER FIFTEEN YEARS PRACTICAL CUTTING FROM THE SAME. 



BEING THE MOST ACCURATE AND RELIABLE SYSTEM 

EVER INVENTED FOR CUTTING LADIES' AND 

CHILDREN'S AND BOYS' CLOTHING. 



Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1867, by Mrs. S. C. EWING, 
in the Clerk's office of the District Court of Indiana. 



4 



INDIANAPOLIS. 

DOWNEY, BROTSE. BUTLER & CO.. PRINTERS. 

18 0. 




v ~ 






H 



INTRODUCTION. 



Ladies : 

Permit me to make a few brief remarks on the 
' science of dress-cutting, by my delineation of scales, 
thereby giving you the directions for using the same. 

This scale is the Tailor's System, invented upon the 
principle of actual measurement, with seven measures. 

Dress-makers, who are acquainted with the numerous 
charts for dress-cutting, know that my scale of cutting is 
the first and only chart of seven measures ever presented 
to the public, except the Tailors'- System, consequently 
all charts that have a breast measure, from arm to arm 
across the breast, and from arm to arm between the 
shoulders on the back, are not originally theirs, as 
claimed, but were taken from mine. All dress-charts 
heretofore in use have only three measures. To my 
knowledge, dress-makers know this to be the fact ; and will 
also discover that those charts taken from other designs, 
by varying, adding to, or diminishing, with intent to 
evade the law, are imperfect, and will not fit accurately, 

All persons who have my theory for cutting garments 
know that it is different from any chart that has ever 
been presented to the public. It was invented by me 
originally from the Tailors' Measure. 

If you ask how I came in possession of the knowledge 
of the tailor's principle of cutting, the answer is this : 



[2] 

My husband is a practical tailor of thirty years expe- 
rience, and I, being a dress-maker, learned of him how 
to fit ladies and children upon the same principle that he 
fits gentlemen and boys, by actual measure with the 
tape line and square. After fifteen years experience in 
cutting and fitting I invented the delineation of scales, 
simplified my knowledge of practical cutting in the form 
of a chart, so that I could impart the knowledge thus 
gained to others, hoping they may be benefitted from my 
experience of catting garments. Therefore my delinea- 
tion of scales requires no rewards of premiums to induce 
ladies to learn the art to fit a garment, free of charge is 
sufficient. The practical use of the scale proves its 
merit. The lining when cut requires no fitting to the 
form. It will fit imperfect forms as well as perfect, there- 
by proving its merit to all. 

Mrs. S. 0. EWING, 

Indianapolis, Ind. 



DIRECTIONS 



For taking the Measure and Drafting a Stoop 
Shoulder form of Waist. 

1st. The tape must be applied around the chest, under 
the arm and drawn tight. 2d. Measure from arm to arm 
across the breast ; if you want a fold on the front, take 
the breast measure loose. 3d. Measure the length of 
waist under the arm. 4th. Then measure around the 
waist, as tight as the lady wishes her dress. 5th. Place 
the tape around the neck, as high as the lady wishes her 
dress. 6th. Measure from arm to arm across the back, 
between the shoulders. 7th measure. Place the tape line 
at B on the scale, and measure down the length you want 
your shoulder; you must measure the length of shoulder 
on the scale. You must understand these measures, or 
you cannot fit perfectly the various forms, sizes and 
shapes of ladies and children. In the scale of actual 
measurement, you must add to, or diminish. For instance, 
you are fitting a lady of this form ; very narrow across 
the breast, very large stoop shoulders, neck protrudes 
out, the length of waist long, size around waist small. To 
fit such a form, you must take from the front and add to 
the back, because the back is wider than the breast, 
consequently what you take from breast, is added to the 
back, by the breast and back measure, from arm to arm 
on the back, and over the breast in front. To fit such a 
form as described, you must apply the stoop shoulder sys- 
tem on the scale. To draft a plain waist for such a form, 
bring the A line to the edge of your cloth, after folding 
your hem ; dot at B, and if the length of your shoulder is 
ten inches, dot at 30 ; after making these two dots, drop 
the scale down one inch, and make two more dots one 
inch below the first two; place the letter C at first dot, 



the lower edge of scale touching lower clot, and draw a 
line up to C, to form the shoulder ; move scale down one- 
half inch from the line, and draw another line in same 
manner for the seam. 

You will observe that the neck must be one inch lower 
in front for such a form ; and across the breast to the 
pitch of the shoulder must be one inch shorter. I want 
you to understand, from the neck point to the dot on the 
arm size scale there must be one inch less of cloth, con- 
sequently, by dropping the scale one inch below the per- 
fect form on the shoulder, and placing the B at neck 
point on shoulder seam and applying your neck measure, 
fourteen inches, for instance, on the edge of your hem in 
front ; then draw a line up to B, to form the neck; place 
the arm size at 32 on upper dot ; apply your breast meas- 
ure straight across from the dot on the arm size ; draw a 
line from 32 to letter J, for arm size ; measure with rule 
the length of waist, under the arm eight inches ; draw a 
line straight across for waist seam ; move the rule up the 
straight edge touching the arm size ; make a dot three 
inches and a half from the hem on the lower edge of rule, 
for top of darts ; make another dot three inches from the 
first ; place the point of rule on the dot, the edge touch- 
ing the hem ; draw a line around the rule to form the 
darts ; the second dart must be one-half inch, on waist 
line, from the first ; place the square end of the rule on 
edge of hem ; dot at 22 for waist measure ; add beyond 
the 22 the width of darts ; place the point of rule at arm 
size, the edge touching the dot on waist line ; draw a line 
for seam ; allow one. inch for seaming. To draft the back 
place the line F straight with your cloth ; clot at G for neck 
size ; dot at the shoulder measure on upper edge of back 
scale ; then apply back measure straight across the tape, 
touching the scale, make a dot ; move the scale up one-half 
inch at center of neck ; draw a line to G, for neck; place the 
letter I at G, the lower edge touching upper dot; draw a 
line up to I, for shoulder ; clot one-half inch below, and 
draw a line for seam ; take the boy's arm size, place it on 
the dots ; draw a line from one dot to the other, with 



[5] 

outside curve. The scale for a stoop shoulder gives one 
inch and a half more cloth from the back measure 
straight across from the lower point of arm size to the 
center of neck at the socket bone ; lay the rule down 
straight under the arm ; dot the length of waist; draw a 
line across ; move the rule up ; bring rule over one inch ; 
dot at your waist measure for width of back. Place the 
point of rule at back arm size, the edge touching your 
waist measure ; draw a line ; add the seam ; take up a 
dart in the back one-half inch in width, and six inches in 
hight. 

J®*For directions for drafting a perfect form, see 
Chart. 

Directions for Drafting a Gafone!!e. 

Draft the neck and shoulder the same as for a plain 
waist, you must draw the line around the arm size, to the 
letter I, instead of J. That allows one inch for the seam 
at the arm size that the side body takes up. Then meas- 
ure one inch and a-half from the edge of the front on the 
waist line, and make one dart three and a-half inches 
from the edge of front hem, the same as you do for a 
plain waist, then measure from the dart on waist line, 
one inch, then take the inside curve of the side body, 
form a line from your breast measure dot, down to waist 
line, observing that the seam when taken will leave half 
an inch on waist line from your dart, then place the 
square end of your rule on hem at waist line dot at your 
waist measure, add beyond "the waist measure, the one 
dart and one inch for seam that the side body takes up. 
Then place the point of rule at arm size, the edge touch- 
ing the dot on waist line, draw a line to form the seam 
under the arm, to get the skirt, measure with your rule 
fourteen inches straight down in front, then place the 
point of rule under the arm at waist seam, lay the rule 
on the bias, take your tape line and measure twenty 
inches straight across from the front dot, to the fourteen 
inches on the rule. The principle is to get fourteen 



[6] 

inches in length, =and twenty in width. Then turn the 
rule over, move it up to figure 2 on waist line under the 
arm, let the straight edge of rule touch the dot you got 
by measuring twenty inches across, draw a straight line 
down the length you wish your skirt on the hip, commen- 
cing under the arm, let the tape line rest on the dot, 
the length of the skirt from waist gives the width at the 
bottom with tape line touching the dot. Then measure 
at the bottom half the width you want your front- gore ; 
for instance, sixteen inches from the front at the bottom of 
your skirt, then place the figure 2 on the side body seam 
at waist line, draw a line straight down to the dot at the 
bottom to form first gore — lay the front side body down 
on your paper, bring your rule over toward you the width 
of the square end, which is three and a-half inches from the 
fourteen length, draw the line the same, bring figure 2 up 
to waist seam on side body, draw a line down to the bot- 
tom of your skirt, to get width of second gore. Observe 
the two front gores are drafted together at first, fourteen 
inches in length, from waist line, and twenty in width, 
then separated as above directed. The back is drafted 
the same as plain waist — the lining of the side body 
must not be cut apart. For drafting back, fold your goods 
or paper together, la} r your back on measure one half inch 
from centre of back or waist line, place the side body form 
at the dot on back arm size, draw a line down to the dot 
on waist line, then measure fourteen inches straight down 
the centre of back from waist line, measure nine inches 
from you straight across, take your rule, turn it over, in 
order to draw a line on the straight edge, bring it up to 
figure 2 from centre of back, let the edge touch the dot 
nine inches from the fourteen, draw a line from figure 2 
down the length you wish your skirt, the line must lay 
bias on your cloth, touching the dot nine inches width from 
fourteen length, take a paper and mark out the side body 
from your back, then lay it in the center of your cloth, 
take the rule, lay it on the side body at the point straight 
with your cloth, make a dot on straight edge of your rule 
fourteen inches from the waist line, move your rule over 



m 

toward you, the width of rule from the dot at fourteen, 
bring figure 2 on rule up to waist line, the opposite edge 
of rule touching dot, draw a line straight down the length 
you wish your skirt, then measure down fourteen inches 
from the waist seam under the arm, and eleven inches 
across to the line from the fourteen inches in length ; 
you will observe you have to turn the rule over, bring it 
up to figure 2, let it touch the dot, draw a line down the 
length you wish your skirt. In my experience of dress 
making, I have discovered that the back of the Gabrielle 
fits more perfect, not to have a seam in the lining fold in 
the seam of the side body, baste it on the back, and stitch 
it same as plain waist. 

Girls' Cabrielles. 

Girls' Gabrielles, of ten and twelve years of age, are 
drafted upon the same principle. You measure the length 
you want your skirt. The front must be twenty inches 
in width at the bottom of skirt; side body must be 11; 
the back 9, as directed on the scale. Take the measure 
of a child the same as you do a lady. From my scale all 
garments are cut upon the same principle. Therefore it 
is needless for further instructions on the same garments. 
You take the measure of children the same. 



Directions for Boys' Coats. 

Take the measure loose, dot at 14 and D and 30, on each 
side of scale ; place B at upper dot, the line A touching » 
lower dot ; draw a line from one dot to the other for neck; 
place IT (arm size) on upper dot, the edge touching 
lower dot, draw a line to H, then measure length of waist 
and skirt, and size of waist with rule, and draw the line 
for seam. For the back of coat, place the line F on the 
edge of your cloth, draw a line around the scale for the 
neck, shoulder and arm size ; measure length of waist ; 
place the point of rule at the arm, the edge touching the 
waist measure, and draw a line along for seam. 



Per Hundred, $75 00 

Per Dozen, - 12 00 

Per Single Chart, - - 2 00 

Ten Dollars for teaching the whole system of cutting 
Men's, Boys', Ladies' and Children's garments. 

Six Dollars for teaching half the system. 

This Scale of Actual Measurement cuts every garment 
men, women and children wear. 



Diploma— Indiana State Fair, £866. 

AWARDED OYER ALL OTHERS. 



Secretary's Office, j 



Indianapolis, Ind,, March 8, 1867. 

I hereby certify that a Diploma was awarded at the 
last annual Indiana State Fair, held October, 1866, to Mrs. 
S. C. Ewing, of Indianapolis, Indiana, for "Pattern for 
Drafting and Cutting Boys' Coats and Ladies' Dresses. 

Witness my hand and oMcial seal, the day above writ- 
ten. 

A. D. HAMKICK, A. J. HOLMES, 

President. Sec'y Ind. State Board of Agriculture. 




AGENTS WANTED 



FOR EVERY 



TOWN AND COUNTY IN THE UNITED STATES, 



TO TEACH THE 



DELINEATION OF SCALES. 

This is the only reliable Tailor System in the form of a Chart. 

J£gT Ladies who have to depend upon their own re- 
sources will find this a lucrative business with a small 
investment. 



P. O. Box 57. 



Mrs. S. C. EWING-, 

INDIANAPOLIS. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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Conservation Resources 
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




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